Richard wells



I 74 2772 esses R. WELLS Car Coupling.

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Patehted Aug. 3, 1869.

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RICHARD WELLS, or BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

I "Letters Patent No. 93,378, dated August 3, 1 869.

IMPROVED RAILWAY CAR-COUPLING.

The Schedule referred to in'the se Letters Patent and. making part 0!- the same.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Rronnnn WnLLs, of the city of Bloomington, in the county of McLean, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is an'end or front view;

Figure 2, a partial section on line :c,-

Figure 3, a plan view of the link-supporter detached; and v Figure 4, an under or bottom view of the head of the coupling.

Like letters refer to the same parts in all of the figimasi I The nature and object of my invention consist in so construoting'a car-coupling, which is adapted to the use of double or single links, that the couplingpins may be inserted or withdrawn without getting between the cars, by connecting the conpling 'pins with a cross-bar and frame-work, and with cords or chains, which pass to the side of the car, as hereinafter more fully described.

To enable others skilled inthe art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same.

I design to make the coupling-head B of cast-iron, and attach it to any ordinary or suitable draw-bar, which draw-bar is attached to thecar, and provided with springs in any of the ordinary modes.

The head or coupling B, when constructed for use, is made about eighteen inches wide, twenty .-eight inches long, and about eight inches thick.

In the front end four openings, S, T, U, and V, are made, as shown.

. The opening or hole V extends back into the head,

nearly to the rear end of the head, and is provided with a link-supporter, F.

This link-supporter is made as shown at fig. 3, the front projections having grooves on their insides, to receive and hold the link H.

At the back end there is an opening or slot, G, through which the screw or bolt W passes, as shown at fig. 2.

This supporter is fitted into the opening V, so as to slide out and in, and so as to have some vertical play or movement, and at the rear end, between that and the end of the'opening, I insert a coiled or other suit-' able spring, M, which. serves to keep the link out against the bolt or pin P, so that it will enter the opposit head of the draw-bar, when two cars are brought together, andwhile in this position, the saddle F prevents the link from falling or inclining downward, so far as to make its entrance uncertain, of so far as to necessitate stepping in between the'cars, to guide it into the other head.

' \Vhenever there is any necessity for such movement, the spring M will allow the link to pass back into the opening V, as it is only made of sufiicient strength to-insure the projection of, the link when not in use.

The opening Uis not designed to-be used when two of these heads are brought together, but is to be used when brought in contact with cars not provided with this coupling.

0n the side opposite to the opening V, I make a double opening, S and T, or such opening wide, with a partition, so that when loaded cars are coupled with empty ones, or those of oifferent heights are brought together, bent links will not be required, nor so large a mouth necessary as is required for a single opening, which large opening renders the proper insertion of the connecting-pins somewhat uncertain, particularly if the links are loosely held in place, and is more liable to break the pins or bend them, and make their withdrawal diflicult.

On the top of this headI place across-bar, O, which is extended nearly or quite across the head, and it is held in place by two standards or posts N.

The link-pins Q and Rare permanently secured to this cross-bar, and they are held downcontinuously,

and prevented from bounding out by the springs O, on

the posts N.

The posts N are connected at the top by a crossbar,-D, and-in the form shown by a bow, E.

Between the cross-bar I) and the how are placed standards, which support an anti-friction pulley, L.

If desired, the bow and standards can be dispensed with, and the pulley or roller L attached to the bar I),

by being let into it.

On aplane nearly-horizontal with L, I attach to the end of the car two anti-friction pulleys or rollers K, as shown, A representing a portion of the end of a car.

The back end of the head has its projections made at right angles with thedraw-bar Y, so as to form square shoulders, as shown at fig. 4, which shoulders prevent the head from being driven so far under the car as to break or injure the top parts.

In operation, the cross-bar O is elevated by pulling either one of the chains or cords J far enough to with-. draw the link-pins from the holes, as shown-in red in fig. 1, where it may be held by the attendant, or by i' i I v The chain or cord 1 is attached or fastened to the ters Patent, is-

'1. The combination of the cross-bar G with the pin Q or It, and the posts N and springs O, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the cross-bar 0, provided.

with one or more link-pins, and suitable return-springs O, with the cords or chains Iand J, and pulleys Land K, when constructed and operating substantially as shown and described.

RICHARD WELLS.

Witnesses W. T.'RAGLAND, Jessa BIRCH. 

